Happy Smith

[Redrose 59]

I'm looking for a wee bit of help........

Happy Smith Born Wigan c1885.
Married John Edward Hughes in 1908 in Wigan.
Census 1911 named as Happy Hughes working as a servant laundry maid at Winwick.
Married James Rowles 1911 in Warrington.

I cannot find a copy/record online to look at of either marriage, I suspect that they may have been register office or non C of E church marriages. Is my only hope of finding out more info to buy the certificates? I would like to know why she remarried so quickly, was she widowed so soon after her first marriage? And without John Edward Hughes fathers name and occupation etc I'm not sure how I can learn anymore about him to see if and when he died.

This research is for my oldest friend, I was chatting about doing my family tree and when she told me her Grandmothers name was "Happy Smith"I couldn't resist trying to find out more! My friends mum was not aware that Happy may have been married before marrying her father James Rowles.

[heywood]

Hello,
Lancashire BMD shows the marriage to JEH  as register office or registrar attended.
It doesn't show the marriage to James Rowles.
Sorry, forgot Warrington is Cheshire BMD. Same information re marriage so looks like certificates needed.
Heywood

[garstonite]

Hiya Redrose
she was born july/aug/sep 1884   https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2XL1-HHY

1901 census   with her parents aged 16 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9LS-YZ5

I wonder if her grandmother was also named Happy Smith ??  Roman Catholic - does Gulia Lane as an address mean anything to your friend ??

Burial: 28 Jun 1856 St John RC, Wigan, Lancashire, England
Happy Smith -
    Age: 37
    Abode: Gulia Lane
    Buried by: T. Selby

this may have been the church your Happy Smith married in ?

[garstonite]

Possible baptism in Wigan for John Edward Hughes
Baptism: 10 Sep 1877 All Saints, Wigan, Lancashire, England
John Edward Hughes - [Child] of Alfred Hughes & Mary
    Born: 22 Aug
    Abode: Ince
    Occupation: Furnaceman
    Baptised by: Andrew E P Gray Curate

[Mair]

Hi
Had a quick scout around and the following confirms details so far   

http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/cgi/marrind.cgi?county=lancashire
SMITHHappyMARSHALL1884WiganLancashireWigan & Leigh Ref WIG/151/25N/A
Marriages Ches & lancs  bmd
ROWLESJamesHUGHESHappy1911Warrington, Civil Marriage or Registrar AttendedCheshireWarringtonRef R/48/162
HUGHESJohn EdwardSMITHHappyWigan, Register Office or Registrar AttendedWigan & Leigh Ref ROW/119/98
 Can't see anything further for JEH except corresponding birth cert for 1877 That's on freebmd.
good hunting

M

[Redrose 59]

Thank you all so much. Certainly lots to look at and hopefully find out more about Happy's life.

Her name intrigues me so much that I have put my own tree to one side for now!

[ThrelfallYorky]

There's at least one public tree on "Ancestry" that seems quite full of information concerning her. I agree - it's a lovely name! One of her siblings seems to have been called "Patience" - the rest, poor things, seem to have had very ordinary names.

[Redrose 59]

I now have more information but I still have one big question. Funny how that always seems to happen lol. I really would like to know what happened to Happy's first husband John Edward Hughes.

I have got both marriage certificates for Happy Smith/Hughes and there are some anomalies. I wonder if some of you more experienced folk might have a look at the info and give me your thoughts? I'd be very grateful. This is what I have so far.

29th August 1908. Wigan Register Office.
Happy Smith age 24 Spinster Bolton Road Ashton in Makerfield.
Father John Smith. Foreman at Iron Foundry.

John Edward Hughes age 21 Bachelor Pawn Brokers Assistant. Old Road Ashton in Makerfield.
Father George Hughes Stone Mason ( journeyman)

Witnesses: John Roberts and Catherine Anne Roberts. ( I have found a marriage for a Catherine Anne Hughes and John Roberts 1899 Wigan in BMD. Register office or registrar attended)

14th December 1911 The register Office Warrington
Happy Hughes age 22 Spinster Laundress County Asylum Winwick
Father John Hughes Commercial Traveller

James Rowles age 21 Bachelor Stoker at Waterworks. Middleton Waterworks Warrington.
Father James Rowles Stoker at Waterworks.

Witnesses Aaron Brimelow and Fanny Brimelow ( Fanny Rowles sister of James married Aaron Brimelow) 

I am sure looking at the signature on both certificates that Happy is one and the same.  What happened to John Edward Hughes after 1908?
I can find him on the 1901 Census, named as John Hughes. He was born in Llanasa Wales. I also have him in 1891 census living in Llanasa. But can't find him in 1911. Maybe I'm just missing whats in front of me.

Many thanks for any thoughts and help.

[AntonyMMM]

If it is the same woman, then the fact she has named a different father, the ages don't match and that she is claiming to be a spinster on her second marriage would suggest it isn't a straightforward case of a widow remarrying and that it may well be a bigamous marriage. A divorce would be be very unlikely, but needs to be ruled out.

The signature comparison is only relevant if you are looking at copies of the original register entries -  if the certificates came from GRO , you won't be.